New Poll Finds Direct Payments Are Most Popular Part of COVID Relief Package

A recent Morning Consult/Politico poll shows that stimulus checks had the highest level of support from the $1.9 billion COVID relief bill that President Biden signed into law earlier this month. Nearly four out of five registered voters supported the measure, including 91 percent of Democrats and 67 percent of Republicans.

According to the poll, the majority of voters also supported the extended $300 weekly unemployment payments and the expanded child tax credit. Those provisions each garnered support from about 70 percent of voters.

Alternatively, other parts of the relief bill were more divisive along party lines, like the $350 billion provision to aid state, local, and tribal governments. Overall, 64 percent of voters supported the measure, including 83 percent of Democrats and 43 percent of Republicans. Likewise, 42 percent of Republican voters opposed the funding to those governments.

The survey also found that more than half of voters supported the $86 billion provision to failing union pension plans, including 73 percent of Democrats. Only 29 percent of Republicans supported the provision, the lowest share of GOP backing for all stimulus provisions listed; 53 percent of GOP voters opposed the measure outright.

The poll consistently shows the popularity of the stimulus package, and that most voters credit the White House and congressional Democrats for completing it. 77 percent of voters said that Biden is “very” or “somewhat” responsible for the bill, including 94 percent of Democrats and 60 percent of Republicans. Only 15 percent said he is “not that responsible” or “not responsible at all.”

78 percent of voters said that Democrats in Congress were responsible for the relief package, while only 28 percent of voters said that Republicans in Congress were responsible.

The survey took place March 12-15 among 1,993 registered voters and has a margin of error of 2 percentage points.